Quite a while back the Autobody News often carried an article about a character called “Doctor Dent,” by Dave Truslow, Jr. Unfortunately Dave is no longer contributing his fine articles, but perhaps he was looking perceptively into the future when he called his character “Doctor.”

What could you get for your physical body parts if they were sold one-by-one? $25,000? May-be. How does that compare to the price of a car today? There’s a good chance that the car you are driving is worth more than you are.

What do you pay your doctor for a medical checkup or specific diagnosis when one of your own body parts is apparently a little bent out of shape? You can bet he doesn’t examine you for $35 an hour, or even $60 an hour. So what is your time really worth when you’re diagnosing what needs to be done to repair a car that can cost in excess of $50,000?

 If you’re a state-of-the-art collision repair professional, you have tools to micro-measure frame alignment, paint color, parts replacement and restoration cost. A medical doctor gets his M.D. in about 12 years. How long has it taken you to acquire your present degree of expertise? If you have been mastering this profession for eight, 10, 12 years or more, and you are being trusted to diagnose and repair auto bodies worth more in dollars and cents than a human body, should your time be worth any less than a medical doctor?

Positioning yourself as a professional

Unfortunately, most professions are priced more by precedent, situation and tradition than by objective value. Why can some lawyers, ball players and actors command fees of millions of dollars when there may be many others with comparable skills making much less? Smart lawyers seek out high-profile cases like the O.J. Simpson trial. Ball players and actors with talent may be discovered by the right talent scout or agent and parleyed into big money. Might it be possible for you to do the same within your own profession?

In California, the Auto Club now offers a diagnostic service for members who are looking for a good used car to buy. For a small fee, they can bring in a car they are considering and have it tested for mechanical soundness. It is unlikely, however, that the body will be tested for previous accidents, frame distortion or misalignment. This requires the equipment and expertise of an auto body professional. Consider creating an “Auto Body Diagnostic Center” as part of your shop’s services. The small fee charged for the service could be credited toward repairs needed, if any.

 I have often noted that body shops, whose business generally only comes when people have accidents, need to offer more general services to acquaint people with their shop long before these people actually have an accident. The diagnostic service could accomplish that goal. Consider an advertisement that might read:
 “If you are in the market for a used car, don’t risk getting a vehicle that has been in an accident and repaired poorly. Let us verify the condition of the car's body before you buy. We’ll guarantee our diagnosis. That’s more than most medical doctors will do.”